Zhang Shuguang only agonized for about a minute before coming to terms with it. Regardless of the reason, his relationship with Mang Jiu at this stage was simply that of roommates—and his life-saving benefactor.

“Brother Mang Er, have you ever come across this plant during your hunting trips?” Zhang Shuguang steered the conversation away from Mang Er’s eagerness to showcase his younger brother’s prowess. He casually scooped a handful of dried root plants from a seashell container. “This is what it looks like when dried. Fresh ones are softer and larger.”

Mang Er’s attention was indeed diverted. He picked one up, examined it, sniffed it, then popped it into his mouth and chewed.

Zhang Shuguang stirred the white, fatty meat simmering in the stone pot while observing his reaction.

Mang Er tilted his head, thinking for a moment before saying, “This grows on the back mountain, right? It covers the ground in a layer.”

Zhang Shuguang was surprised he actually knew and replied, ”Right, found near the shallow pond. Just a little bit.“

Meng Er waved his hand. ”There’s plenty of this stuff uphill from the pond. I’ve seen it when I bathed. Why are you looking for this?”

The tribe’s foraging teams usually brought back sweet-and-sour fruits. They rarely collected wild greens like this—not because they couldn’t find them, but because they didn’t know how to prepare them.

Plain boiled greens with salt might taste fresh for a couple of meals, but they quickly grew tiresome. So if they brought back greens just once out of five trips, that was considered good.

Zhang Shuguang wasn’t too familiar with these distinctions. To him, any edible wild vegetable was a valuable source of nutrients. Now that they had lard and salt, he could easily stir-fry them.

Honestly, eating the same stewed pot every day would wear anyone down. For someone like him, a modern person who’d tasted cuisines from all over, the monotony was like a dieter surviving on cucumbers alone.

Except that dieters choose to munch on cucumbers, he was forced into it. That was the only difference.

“Dry them out and save them for later. Throw some in when you cook.” Zhang Shuguang grabbed a handful of dried groundcover greens and soaked them in a large conch shell filled with water. “They’re delicious stir-fried with meat.”

“How do you stir-fry it?” Mang Er asked with keen curiosity.

Zhang Shuguang tapped his forehead lightly. Right—these folks didn’t even know what rendering lard was, let alone stir-frying!

He’d been disappointed in his ordinary cooking skills, thinking he couldn’t prepare exotic delicacies. But now it seemed even his stir-fried groundcover greens with pork slices could make these folks swoon with aroma.

Seeing Mang Er earnestly waiting for his answer, he gave a dry chuckle. “Well… how about I stir-fry some for us to try later?”

Mang Er, utterly oblivious to the concept of politeness, spoke with blunt honesty that left one speechless: “Alright, make plenty. We can eat.”

Just then, Ying Liu flew up from the mountain with his arms full of dry branches. Hearing this, he didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed. Instead, he grinned and chimed in, “That young hog beast cub won’t be enough for us. Why don’t I go back to the cave and fetch some more meat?”

Zhang Shuguang was speechless. They were all gluttons—no contest.

“No need. I’ll make sure you’re all stuffed.” With that, he turned and entered the cave, bringing out the potatoes he’d dug earlier. “Brother Ying Liu, could you peel them all?” Even Mang Jiu acknowledged potatoes’ filling power—there was no way they wouldn’t be satisfied.

Mang Er noticed the fire wasn’t burning as fiercely as before. He grabbed a handful of dry branches and tossed them in, saying, ”These twigs are too thin to burn well. I’ll go find some thicker ones.”

Zhang Shuguang thought this was a good idea and didn’t stop him.

The stone pot simmering the fatty meat began bubbling loudly. The temperature rose, but the accompanying pungent, fishy smell grew even stronger.

Standing right by the pot, Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but gag at the assault.

The smell of this oil was truly awful. If he didn’t have the lemongrass, he’d never eat a single bite just because of this stench!

He’d picked quite a bit of lemongrass yesterday. Zhang Shuguang washed the slender leaves clean and tossed the entire bunch into the pot simmering with oil.

Earlier, when cooking the ribs, he’d only added seven or eight stalks, yet they had worked wonders at masking the odor. The lemongrass in this world carried an intensely rich lemon peel aroma—a single stalk or two was barely noticeable, but more than that became almost overpowering.

For the gamey giant boar beast, however, this herb proved an excellent seasoning. Its bold flavor masked the strange odors in both the meat and oil. Moreover, the combination of boiling and frying significantly mellowed the lemongrass’s own intense aroma. The two effects balanced each other out, creating a surprisingly complementary result—a pleasant surprise.

Ying Liu worked swiftly, peeling a total of thirty potatoes. With that, the cave’s potato supply was completely depleted.

Zhang Shuguang submerged all the meat meant for stir-frying in water. He added lemongrass to boil away the flavor and blood scum, then scooped it out, rinsed it clean, and proceeded with secondary processing.

Seeing him silently chopping meat with his head down, Ying Liu couldn’t help but approach and ask, “Let me help with something else. I’m not used to just watching you work.”

Usually, they each looked out for themselves. Unless you had a mate to care for you, it was every man for himself—eat your fill, and the rest of the family goes hungry.

Even siblings living in the same cave rarely shared meat with others. Other than meat, though, they didn’t mind sharing much else.

The entire village only knew one person who did things like Mang Jiu, remembering a hibernating brother during the snow season and occasionally sending him food.

Zhang Shuguang glanced at the large basin of potatoes beside him and handed over the bone knife. “Cut the potatoes.”

“How should I cut them?” Ying Liu took the bone knife, holding up a potato to gauge. “Like this?”

Zhang Shuguang sighed, slicing a potato in half, then halving each half into quarters, and finally quartering those into eighths. “Something like this.”

Ying Liu nodded. “Leave it to me. I’ll have them cut in no time.”

Finally, some peace and quiet. Zhang Shuguang stirred the oil pot with a stone ladle, pushing all the floating lemongrass to the bottom. The rising heat made the oil bubble vigorously.

By now, the pale pink chunks of fatty pork had visibly shrunk. He bent down, pulled several burning branches from the fire, and placed them under another stove. Then he continued stirring the pork, ensuring it cooked evenly.

The rich aroma of lemongrass overpowered the gamey stench of the hog beast. Initially, both scents mingled, but once the vibrant green lemongrass turned deep golden brown from frying, only a faint, refreshing herbal fragrance lingered in the air.

Surprised by the lemongrass’s transformation, he scooped up some oil with a stone ladle and sniffed it. Not a trace of the gamey smell remained.

It seemed the lemongrass growing here was particularly adept at masking odors. Perhaps it could be useful for many things in the future.

After cutting the potatoes, Ying Liu wrinkled his nose and sniffed the air, exclaiming with delight, “This smells amazing!”

Zhang Shuguang agreed with him—it truly was a pleasant scent. As the fragrance drifted on the breeze, even Hua and Yu from the neighboring cave were drawn out.

Yu arrived with his two cubs, peering curiously. “What good stuff have you cooked up this time? It smells amazing!”

“The hog beast had too much fat to eat, so I rendered it into oil. Once the cracklings are done, take some back for the kids’ snacks.” Zhang Shuguang entered the cave, retrieved a large conch shell, and scooped the shriveled, golden-brown cracklings from the pot with a stone spoon. He handed the shell to Yu. “Here, try some.”

“That’s far too much!” Yu didn’t take it. “Keep it for yourself. We have fatty meat at home too, and I’ve been wondering how to prepare it. Teach me, and I’ll make it for them later.”

Zhang Shuguang placed the conch shell directly into Yu’s hands and nudged him. “It’s nothing special. That whole pot will go bad if we don’t eat it soon. Once you’ve cooked some yourself, bring some over for my little one, too. This tastes crispier and more fragrant when eaten in larger portions. Just sprinkle a pinch of crushed salt on top and mix it in.”

Yu ultimately didn’t refuse. He thanked him and took the giant clam shell.

Nai Dou had long been drawn by the aroma. Now he was clinging to Zhang Shuguang’s calf, whining impatiently.

Zhang Shuguang scooped a few pieces of greasy pork rind into the large shell for him, patting his furry head. “You little glutton. Let it cool down before you eat.”

He then served some to Hua as well. The remaining greasy pork rinds filled two large shells—one for Mang Er, and one handed to Ying Liu.

“For me?” Ying Liu asked in surprise.

“Take it for your clan’s cubs. Eating too much of this stuff gets cloying, but it’s decent for a taste.” Zhang Shuguang didn’t care for greasy pork rinds. When his family was poor growing up, his mother would buy a large slab of lard to render oil, and the leftover rinds were given to him and his brother to eat.

But his older brother cherished him, so most of the greasy bits ended up in his stomach. That single experience made Zhang Shuguang so sick of the stuff that he never wanted to touch it again. After that, whenever his mother rendered lard, his older brother devoured every last scrap of the greasy bits.

Ying Liu was deeply moved, finding Zhang Shuguang exceptionally kind-hearted.

By the time Mang Er returned, Zhang Shuguang had already begun stir-frying ribs and thigh meat in oil.

An upgraded version of the modern-day “ribs with chicken” dish—ribs with ostrich.

“Did you chop all these thick logs?”

Zhang Shuguang glanced over and saw that Mang Er had brought back arm-thick tree trunks. Judging by the break points, they’d likely been kicked off by someone.

“Wow, that’s brutal,” he remarked. “Yeah, toss in a few thick ones for me.”

The aroma of meat sizzling in oil was far more enticing than the earlier scent of frying lemongrass. Thanks to the blanching and the lemongrass seasoning, there was no trace of gamey odor—only the slow release of savory meat fragrance mingled with a hint of herbal notes.

At this hour, most tribe members had already eaten dinner and were preparing for sleep. Yet the overpowering aroma drifting their way made them swallow hard repeatedly.

The first victims were those in the caves closest to Zhang Shuguang—those to the left, right, and below him—all lying awake.

Li had spent the entire day running after the gathering team. By the time he returned, his legs felt like jelly. He’d planned to deliver wood to Zhang Shuguang but lacked the strength to haul it up the mountain. He’d intended to eat, rest quickly, and carry the wood up tomorrow. Yet, no sooner had he lain down than the waves of meat aroma made his stomach growl loudly.

“Ahhh, I’m starving!”

“Didn’t you just eat grilled meat?” Ying smiled at him, knowing full well he’d been lured by the aroma. “Take a piece of meat over there and trade Shuguang for some of his cooked meat to try.”

Li scrambled off the stone bed, grabbed his leather skirt to wrap around himself, selected the largest piece of meat from their supply, and dashed outside.

“Shuguang!”

Zhang Shuguang turned around and saw Li running over. He chuckled, “You’re still awake?”

He knew full well why Li was there—his eyes were glued to Shuguang’s pot, clearly awakened by the aroma.

Meng Er and Ying Liu were already sitting properly by the side, their faces looking a bit dazed from the meat aroma.

Li scratched his head sheepishly, offering the meat. “My mom told me to trade you for some meat to try.”

Zhang Shuguang didn’t refuse. Equivalent exchange was a good habit.

“Almost done, just wait a bit longer.” He stirred the pot with a stone spoon. The meat was actually already cooked, but Zhang Shuguang felt it needed to simmer a little longer. After all, if the meat on the ribs wasn’t stewed until tender, it would be tough to chew.

Li swallowed hard, nodded eagerly, and sat obediently nearby, tilting his head up expectantly, waiting for the meat.

The sight of the three of them sitting in a row was too amusing, and Zhang Shuguang couldn’t help but laugh.

A large pot of ribs simmered with ostrich legs, two bamboo shoots, and plenty of potatoes. Once cooked, he used a large conch shell to portion out three servings. Turning to Li, he said, “Take one to the Shaman. These two are for Brother Yu and Sister Hua.”

Li slurped his saliva and nodded with difficulty.

“I absolutely won’t sneak any!”

“Come back later to eat. I’ll make something else for you.” Zhang Shuguang transferred the remaining meat from the pot into a clean wooden basin and continued stir-frying thinly sliced pork with dried groundcover. He’d cut the pork paper-thin, so it cooked quickly.

Stir-fry was something they’d never tasted before. Just the aroma alone made their mouths water. Mang Er, in particular, had completely abandoned any pretense of decorum, repeatedly wiping his mouth with his hand.

He couldn’t help it—if he hadn’t wiped, droplets of saliva would surely have dripped down.

Zhang Shuguang watched them with amusement. Since there was plenty of food and no suitable container to hold it all, he simply placed everything in the wooden basin.

“Let’s eat.” He picked a piece of spare rib for Nai Dou and placed it in the kitten’s stone bowl for him to gnaw on. Then, using a stone spoon, he scooped some potatoes and bamboo shoots, added two spare ribs and a piece of ostrich leg meat into a large conch shell. He served another portion to Li and one to Xi San. The rest was all for Mang Er and Ying Liu.

Li first delivered meat to Hua and Yu, then clutched the giant conch shell and dashed down the mountain. Reaching the cave entrance, he bellowed, “Shaman! Shuguang sent me to bring you meat!”

His shout didn’t summon Wu Ming, but a swarm of furry little cubs burst out instead.

Startled, Li quickly raised the giant conch shell high and dodged the little ones. “Go, go, go! Move aside! This is for the Shaman!”

Wu Ming walked up to him with a smile and asked, “Did Shuguang send you to bring this to me?”

Li nodded, shoved the giant conch shell into Wu Ming’s arms, and turned to run off, leaving only one sentence: “I’m off to eat meat! Shuguang says this is called ‘ribs with ostrich’!“

Wu Ming’s face softened with affection. Holding the conch shell, he glanced up at the faint glow visible from the fourth cave level before turning back inside. ”Come taste this, everyone! It’s a gift from the Divine Child.” He was convinced that Zhang Shuguang was the Divine Child.

The little ones couldn’t understand. They only followed the scent, their minds set on eating the fragrant meat. Gifts? They didn’t get it!

Zhang Shuguang handed the giant conch shell to Fei and was about to leave when Fei reached out and pulled him back.

“Wait,” Fei said mysteriously, pulling him deeper into the cave. Xi San, who had followed them out, gave her a puzzled look and said to Zhang Shuguang, “You can just eat it yourself. That little cub doesn’t have much meat on it anyway.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled warmly at Xi San. “After all the trouble you went through for me today, Xi San, I really should thank you properly. So, Fei, what did you want to tell me?”

Fei was also drooling over the aroma, but she considered herself a woman of principle. Shuguang had been so kind to them; naturally, she had to repay him.

“While you were gone, Tianlu came looking for Mang Jiu. Let me tell you, he’s not someone you want to mess with. If you see him, don’t let him charm you with his smooth talk.”

Xi San twitched his mouth at the side, wisely keeping his mouth shut.

Back then, he’d merely complimented Tianlu as “pretty cute,” and Fei had blown up at him. She’d even said if he didn’t like her, he should just say so—there were plenty of Beastmen in the tribe, after all, and she didn’t have to be with him.

Ever since then, Xi San had never praised Tianlu in Fei’s presence again.

Zhang Shuguang didn’t know who Tianlu was, but seeing Fei’s serious expression, he instinctively reined in the template smile that usually plastered his face. “Alright, I’ll remember that. Thanks, Sister Fei. You guys hurry back to eat your meat—it’ll lose its flavor if it gets cold.”

Seeing how receptive he was, Fei’s mood lifted considerably.

“You’re out of potatoes over there, right? We’re going digging again tomorrow. I’ll bring you back a sackful.”

Zhang Shuguang agreed immediately. “Alright, I’ll trade you some dried fish for them tomorrow.”

Fei was even more satisfied. She’d initially assumed someone like Shuguang—skinny, pale, and clean-cut—would be like Tianlu, playing the victim to win sympathy. But spending time with him had changed her view. She couldn’t find another Sub-Beastman in the tribe as diligent and capable as Shuguang!

How fortunate Mang Jiu was to have Shuguang by his side!

Seeing Fei eager to keep chatting with Zhang Shuguang, Xi San quickly pulled her back. “We can talk later. Shuguang hasn’t eaten yet.”

Only then did Fei react, adding hurriedly, “Go back and eat.”

Zhang Shuguang smiled at them, turned, and left the cave to have her meal.

Truth be told, those who cook often find themselves unable to eat after preparing a meal. Though hungry, they simply lack the appetite.

Back at the cave entrance, Mang Er and Ying Liu had already started eating. Zhang Shuguang sat down, one hand cradling a seashell, the other holding chopsticks as he began his meal with deliberate slowness.

The two watched Zhang Shuguang skillfully use two wooden sticks to pick up meat, eating with grace and without spilling a drop of soup.

Then they looked at themselves, each holding a piece of meat in their hands, gnawing with faces smeared in grease and hands covered in it.

In comparison, well, they were slobs.

The stewed meat, prepared after hours of labor, was beyond delicious—so good it made your head spin, making you wish you could dive right into the pot.

The wild greens stir-fried in pork fat were exceptionally flavorful. Paired with the meat slices, they didn’t overpower the meat’s aroma but instead elevated it to another level.

Mang Er had always disliked wild greens and fruits. Only when starving and with no meat available would he grudgingly nibble on berries. As for greens—the kind growing everywhere—this was his very first taste.

He felt like he was falling in love with this flavor!

The potatoes and bamboo shoots in the stewed ribs were also incredibly fresh. He loved them!

Zhang Shuguang was also trying ostrich meat for the first time. The texture was somewhat tough. Despite the small pieces, after stewing for so long, it was actually harder than the pork ribs.

“Are these long-legged beasts easy to catch?” he asked Ying Liu.

Ying Liu tore at the meat clinging to a rib bone, shaking his head. “Long-legged beasts run incredibly fast. They live in packs and are extremely fierce. My brother, Ying Da, even had its wing injured by one of these beasts. Plus, these creatures are highly alert—the slightest sound sends them running.”

Mang Er chimed in, “Probably encountered a group that emerged after the snow melted. Mang Jiu’s hunting grounds are teeming with beasts.”

“Wonder if we could bring back some long-legged beast eggs. Scrambled eggs are delicious too.” Zhang Shuguang muttered under his breath after taking a bite of the potato.

Mang Er and Ying Liu caught his mutter, their eyes lighting up.

Eggs!

They’d go out searching for eggs tomorrow!

These two clearly intended to keep freeloading, but they both knew that once Mang Jiu returned, their freeloading would likely earn them a beating.

So be it. If they got beaten, they’d just freeload again afterward!

Zhang Shuguang was full and unaware of the shady scheme brewing between the two.

He mentally called out to Xiao Cai, but received no reply.

Knowing the app probably hadn’t finished updating yet, he pushed the thought aside and walked over to the wooden tubs filled with sliced meat.

Honestly, these large wooden tubs were a huge help. Without them, he’d have nowhere to store all this meat.

One tub held meat and ribs waiting to be cured, another contained two halved pig heads and four trotters, while the third was filled entirely with hearts, livers, intestines, and stomachs.

Truth be told, he’d never handled these offal parts before.

Right now, it feels like being forced into the deep end.

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, I’ve successfully updated!”

Just as he was agonizing over how to handle that pile of offal, the electronic voice in his mind sounded.

Zhang Shuguang was overjoyed. “The Points Store is open? What’s inside?”

Xiao Cai: “Master, please wait a moment. I’ll display the Points Store for you.”

Zhang Shuguang held the salt block brought by Mang Er. He first wrapped it in leaves and crushed it with a stone. While rubbing the salt grains onto the meat, he glanced at the phone screen appearing before him.

Points Store: 10 points to activate reading rights for book, 10 points for 3 free chapters, 10 points for 1 paid chapter.

Exchange for handmade farming tools: 500 points per item.

Exchange for vegetable seeds: 300 points per liang.

Exchange for fertilizer: 500 points per jin.

Handmade farming tools were subdivided into many types, but Zhang Shuguang noticed a countdown timer behind each tool.

“Xiao Cai, these tools aren’t meant for permanent use?”

Xiao Cai: “Correct. Handmade tools contain iron components. Since no iron ore has been discovered on the Beast World’s main roads yet, the tools Master redeems will have a limited usage period.”

Zhang Shuguang rolled his eyes. This setup was a rip-off. He might as well find stones and carve his own tools—like that hoe he’d made earlier.

He glanced at the vegetable seeds category and realized most of them were duplicates of what he’d already purchased.

Was this really making the most of resources?

He’d spent money to buy seeds, only to have them appear in the shop. Then he’d have to grind through tasks to earn points and redeem them for the same seeds again. Back and forth—it was like paying twice!

And these vegetable seeds? He could easily obtain them through regular tasks and redeem them with points. Did they take him for a fool?

Swindlers! Greedy app!

As for the fertilizer section, he didn’t even bother looking at the details.

First, he knew nothing about different types of fertilizers.

Second, on this primitive continent, while he couldn’t guarantee the presence of other resources, natural fertilizers were certainly plentiful. Just digging up and sun-drying the contents of that huge pit, the Cliff Shore Tribe used to bury their waste, would yield usable fertilizer.

So to him, the points store was utterly useless—like a chicken rib: tasteless to eat, yet a pity to throw away.

After all, he was still quite interested in reading that book titled The Beast World Overlord’s Wild Wife.

“Xiao Cai.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, what is your question?”

Zhang Shuguang: “I have a huge question! This app store must be run by a money-grubber! Just look at how unreasonable the point exchange rates are! I’m filing a complaint!”

Xiao Cai: “Understood, Master. Your complaint has been submitted. The system response states that the Point Store will revise its exchange rules in the future. Please be patient, Host.”

Zhang Shuguang was speechless. His complaint had fallen on deaf ears.

“I thought my phone battery was already at 119%?”

Xiao Cai: “Correct, Master. It has exceeded full capacity. Excess power can be stored or exchanged for points at a rate of 1% battery = 1 point.”

Thinking of all the crafts he planned to make later, Zhang Shuguang decisively stored the excess power.

Books could wait, but videos were essential. Plus, with more power, he wouldn’t need to constantly complete tasks just to charge his phone—a routine that was turning him into a workaholic on the Beast World Continent.

“Understood, Master. 19% power has been stored for you. New tasks have been released in the app. Please check them.

Daily Tasks: 1. Postpone task: Harvest bamboo shoots (0/10). Reward: 2.5% battery, 2.5 points, 50 EXP.

2. Carryover task: Plant potatoes (0/30). Reward: 5% battery, 5 points, 100 EXP.

3. Plant chili peppers (0/50). Reward: 20% battery, 20 points, 400 EXP.

4. Plant cabbage (0/50), reward: 10% power, 10 points, 200 EXP.

5. Plant lotus flowers (0/30), reward: 10% power, 10 points, 200 EXP.”

Zhang Shuguang accepted the tasks as usual, but asked with confusion, “Do repeatable tasks offer reduced rewards? And why are they all farming-related?”

Xiao Cai: “Master, spring is the season of rebirth and cultivation. The app assigns tasks based on the seeds you currently possess.”

Zhang Shuguang understood. He had only unlocked a few types of vegetables. He figured once he used up his current seeds, these tasks would change to something else.

“Go into hibernation for now. I’ll read later after I finish my work.”

Xiao Cai: “Yes, Master.”

Zhang Shuguang finished salting all the meat in the basin. Hearing a sound behind him, he turned to see Mang Er and Ying Liu—who had polished off every last bit of stewed and stir-fried meat—each holding a wooden basin as they stood up, clearly intending to wash them.

“Brother Ying Liu, could I borrow these wooden basins for now?”

He’d forgotten to ask about the wood earlier, and carving a basin would likely have to wait until tomorrow.

“Go ahead and use them. I’ve got plenty more in my cave. If you ever need a basin or a bucket carved, just let me know. I’ll help you out,” Ying Liu offered generously.

Zhang Shuguang smiled in agreement. “Thanks for your help, Brother Ying Liu.”

Ying Liu nodded, hoisting the wooden basin to wash it.

Mang Er crouched beside Zhang Shuguang, pointing at the basin filled with offal. “We usually just toss this stuff out—the smell is too strong. Even with that grass, it won’t work.”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at it. Truthfully, he was troubled too.

Heart, liver, and lungs were manageable, but intestines and stomach were genuinely difficult to process.

Even modern methods couldn’t completely eliminate the smell from treated intestines and stomachs—and he had nothing at all to work with now.

“It seems such a waste to discard them,” Zhang Shuguang turned to look at Mang Er and inquired, “Brother Mang Er, have you ever seen plants that emit a unique scent?”

Mang Er nodded, then shook his head. “Not now. They only appear during the rainy season.”

Zhang Shuguang glanced at them again, suddenly struck by an idea. These could be used as compost for the fields, or even for fishing bait!

His face brightened with a smile. Mang Er looked puzzled. What was going on?

“These can be used for farming. I cleared a patch of land on the back mountain. I plan to get some seeds tomorrow and plant them.”

Meng Er recalled the clearing he’d seen while kicking trees down the mountain and understood. “You can plant this stuff?” He didn’t question Zhang Shuguang’s farming plans—clearly, he was already impressed by the man’s various skills.

It seemed that no matter how unusual the task, when Zhang Shuguang tackled it, it somehow became less daunting.

“Yes. Though the weather’s warming up now, it’s still quite chilly early morning and late evening. Burying these in the ground means no worries about pests.” Zhang Shuguang hadn’t composted before, but he was willing to give it a try.

Meng Er gave him a look that suggested he sort of understood, but really, he didn’t.

Full and sleepy, Meng Er yawned and said, “You should get some rest too. It’s already late.”

Zhang Shuguang nodded. “Could you help me nail a few bamboo sticks to the wall? I want to hang the meat up. Hammering the sticks into the stone wall himself wasn’t practical, but for Mang Er and the other Beastmen, it was a piece of cake.

Following Zhang Shuguang’s instructions, Mang Er chopped a section from the bamboo and split it into several wide strips.

“Where should I nail them?” Zhang Shuguang held up his torch, scanning the rock face for a suitable spot. He pointed. “Stick two in here, and two over there.” Between the two peaks stood a thick, dead tree with a blackened trunk. He tapped it—no hollow sound. “Stick two in here, too.”

Mang Er simply slammed a rock twice, and the foot-long, wide bamboo splint instantly sank halfway into the stone wall. Zhang Shuguang praised, “Impressive.”

“What will you use to hang it?” Mang Er asked after hammering the splints, turning his head. “I have shed skin in my cave. Do you want it? It’s very flexible and can bear weight.“Zhang Shuguang froze, realizing the other was also a giant python, and his scalp tingled slightly.

But he was still somewhat curious about the shed skin. Mang Er tilted his head at him, What’s the meaning? Zhang Shuguang took a deep breath and said, ”Can I see it?”

Mang Er shrugged. What was there to see? He’d shed three times already. The previous skins had been discarded, but this one, shed just before the snow season, hadn’t been thrown away yet.

He returned to the cave to fetch it. Zhang Shuguang caught sight of the long shed skin and took a step back in fright.

Meng Er didn’t notice his reaction, casually handing him the skin. “Our giant python clan’s shed skin stays moist for three snow seasons. You can use it however you like.” Zhang Shuguang nodded vaguely and asked, “How often do you shed?”

“Once every ten snow seasons. Mine is fresh, and Mang Jiu shed his not long ago either. You can ask him if he threw his shedding skin away.” 

Meng Er tore the skin open at the tail tip with a sharp rip. ”How wide do you need it?” Zhang Shuguang glanced at the black shed skin. It bore black square patterns and felt smooth and soft to the touch—not at all like shed skin, but rather as if freshly torn from the serpent’s body.

He swallowed hard, gesturing with his hands. “Just cut it into four pieces. I’ll layer them to increase the load-bearing capacity.” This single skin was at least thirteen or fourteen meters long and over a meter wide. It was hard to imagine what Mang Er’s current beast form looked like.

He recalled that snakes shed their skin to grow thicker, but it couldn’t be that they only shed once every ten years. Clearly, the giant python tribe’s Beastmen were quite different from ordinary snakes. Meng Er tore the shed skin with a sharp ripping sound. After finishing, he yawned again. “I’ll hang it for you.”

Zhang Shuguang accepted the offer without hesitation. He arranged the salt-rubbed pork pieces neatly in the wooden basin and set them aside in a cool, shaded spot.

“Not hanging it?” Mang Er finished tying the skin and noticed Zhang Shuguang wasn’t preparing to hang the meat. He asked.

Zhang Shuguang explained, “It needs to be cured for a few days first. Otherwise, it’s too moist and will spoil easily.”

Just then, Ying Liu returned after washing the basin. Seeing his actions, he asked, “You haven’t washed this meat. Won’t it smell?”

Zhang Shuguang shook his head. “You can’t wash cured meat. I’ll pick some lemongrass tomorrow to cure with it. If it really doesn’t work, we’ll just have to make do.”

Under normal circumstances, he could use various spices and salt for the cure, but unfortunately, he had nothing now.

Ideally, he should have stir-fried the lemongrass with salt before curing the meat. But the lemongrass was gone, and the salt from this block wasn’t clean. If it weren’t for the fact that this meat couldn’t be stored for too long, he wouldn’t have been in such a rush to process it. 

Mang Er and Ying Liu exchanged a glance, committing the method to memory. They’d try marinating like this in the future.

“We’re heading back,” Ying Liu said. “If you need anything, just call out. I’m staying on the lower level.”

Mang Er added, “I’ll bring you some fish tomorrow.”

Zhang Shuguang hummed in acknowledgment. After they left, he retrieved a long-bristled brush made from prickly grass and gave the pig’s head a thorough cleaning. The brain was discarded, while the tongue was similarly coated in salt for curing.

Ding~

Xiao Cai: “Master, it’s already 1 AM. You should rest.”

Zhang Shuguang was exhausted, but seeing the bowls of cured meat and ribs, his energy surged again.

“Exchange for original book reading access.”

Xiao Cai: “Understood, Master. Deducting 10 points to unlock reading access. Current points: 105. Master, I can read the prologue aloud for you free of charge.“

Zhang Shuguang: ”Read it.“

Xiao Cai’s steady electronic voice began.

”A thousand years ago, a cataclysmic disaster shattered the once-unified Beast World Continent into five distinct landmasses: the Central Continent, Eastern Continent, Southern Continent, Western Continent, and Northern Continent.

Legend holds that within the Central Continent lies a place called Paradise Island, where the Beast God resides.

The Beast God cherished his people and could not bear to see them endure hardship. Every hundred years, he would dispatch Divine Children and Divine Envoys to wander among the tribes of each continent, aiding them in achieving better lives.

The Divine Child is the Beast God’s only offspring, upon whom the Beast God places great hopes.“

The electronic voice ceased. Zhang Shuguang’s hand paused mid-motion. Then… huh? That’s it?

Xiao Cai: ”Master, the prologue only contains this much.”

Zhang Shuguang’s face twitched violently. This was truly… free content with little to offer!

“I read the first three chapters of the book, and it never mentioned the Divine Child either.”

Xiao Cai: “Master, the book you read and the one I have here might be slightly different. The one you read is probably the revised version.” After all, authors revise and republish to cater to readers and maximize profits—nothing wrong with that.

Zhang Shuguang was stunned.

Could it really be handled this way?

“Then give me three free chapters. I’ll read them first.”

Xiao Cai: “Certainly, Master. Deducting 10 points to redeem 3 free chapters. Current points: 95.”

Zhang Shuguang said, “You don’t need to read them. I’ll look myself.”

He paused his work and focused intently on the virtual screen before him.

Reading ten lines at a glance, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

“Ella is the original protagonist, right? That ‘Mad Wife’.”

Xiao Cai: “In the book you originally read, yes.”

Zhang Shuguang: “But not in this one?”

Xiao Cai: “I don’t know, Master. You can read it yourself.”

Zhang Shuguang thought to himself: If I had that many points, would I need to coax information out of you here?!

But the content of the first three chapters was quite shocking to him.

Ella unexpectedly gained divine power. With this power, she provided the Wanshan Tribe with enough fruits and vegetables to survive the snow season.

The Wanshan Tribe revered Ella as a Shaman without witchcraft, and both the chief and the tribe adored him.

But at the end of Chapter Three, the author abruptly wrote: the little companion who went out with Ella to find food died.

Zhang Shuguang’s heart jolted.

What the hell?

This companion must be referring to the original character’s cannon fodder sidekick, right?

Didn’t he die falling off a cliff trying to save Ella?

Why isn’t that mentioned here?

An inexplicable dread settled over his heart.

Zhang Shuguang realized he might not be reading the revised edition of The Beast World Overlord’s Wild Wife he’d been looking at, but rather this version of The Beast Lord Overlord’s Wild Wife unlocked through the points store.

Two books, two contents, two worlds.

The night breeze sent a shiver down Zhang Shuguang’s spine.

He pressed his lips tightly together as a sense of impending danger rose within him.